Encinitas, CA -- August 18, 2010 -- Today's kids are playing games on consoles, computers, portables and online more than ever before. Kids and Games: What Boys and Girls are Playing Today is a new report series launched by M2 Research.Key findings from the report include:

1. Social Networking: Social Networking is increasingly prevalent in children's lives. Facebook is now the favorite website among tween (8-11) boys and teen (12-15) girls.

2. Key Demographic and "Sweet Spot": Online games dominate for boys and girls ages 8-11. 91% of tween boys and 93% of tween girls play games online.

3. Nintendo Dominates Handheld Gaming Space: But thanks largely to the iPad and iPhone, Apple is becoming a significant player especially with girls.

4. Portable Platform Discrepancy: Sony's PSP has largest gender discrepancy. 17% of teen girls play games on the PSP compared to 44% of teen boys.

5. Strong Videogame Franchises: Franchises continue to flourish at the top of the "Favorites" list for boys and girls. The videogame franchise girls prefer is the Mario Series, with 20% of girls picking it as their favorite. Boys prefer Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, with 36% of teen boys picking it as their favorite game."We have found kids tend to play a wide variety of games, and their favorite games and gaming sites change often." explains Louise Curcio, M2 Research Analyst. "There are opportunities for companies, and we believe the kids market has been overlooked."

Lead author for this report, Louise Curcio, has extensive experience in consumer marketing and children's gaming. Contributing authors, Wanda Meloni and Billy Pidgeon, have both been tracking videogames, online gaming and development technologies for many years.

The Kids and Games: What Boys and Girls are Playing Today report has over 80 gaming charts and outlines key trends and companies. Survey data is collected from over 5,000 kids across the United States. M2 Research has formed a strategic partnership with KidSay to create this ongoing report series, which will be released twice per year.

For further information about the report and pricing, please contact: Wanda Meloni

About M2 ResearchM2 Research has been providing market analysis in the gaming and entertainment space since 2000. The M2 analysts include Wanda Meloni, Billy Pidgeon and Louise Curcio. With a focus on gaming and emerging trends in demographics, technology, and consumer preferences, M2 Research publishes market reports and newsletters. The company also works with clients on customized market planning and analysis. For further information contact us or visit us at www.m2research.com.

About KidSayKidSay is a research company that has been tracking kids' behaviors for over 10 years. Kidsay performs one-on-one surveys with children around the country five times annually. KidSay can be reached at www.kidsay.com.